-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tetiana Chornovol , a prominent Ukrainian civic activist and journalist beaten on Christmas , said she has a long list of enemies , and that she was sure she would die during the attack .

She spoke from a hospital bed Thursday , one day after a group of men dragged her from her car outside of Kiev in the latest attack on government opponents .

`` Many people are trying to get me . It was not a provocation against somebody else , I am sure about it , '' Chornovol told Ukraine 's Channel 5 . `` I mean , I am a revolution activist , a very active one , and I am very well known as a journalist . I 've undertaken many journalistic investigations , which are still irritating all of them . ''

She thinks her attackers were paid to kill her .

`` And I was very scared when they were beating me ; I thought they were going to kill me , '' she said .

A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department said Washington is watching the case closely .

`` We call on the government of Ukraine to uphold its -LRB- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe -RRB- commitments and ensure respect for human rights , including fundamental freedoms of expression ... , '' Jen Psaki said . `` We urge the government of Ukraine to send an unequivocal message that violence against critics of the government and those who are working towards a modern , democratic , and prosperous Ukraine will not be tolerated . ''

In Kiev , protesters rallied outside the Interior Ministry . Some held up pictures of Chornovol , while others had photos of Ukrainian Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko with words `` Down with the bloody minister . ''

Two of three suspects arrested

The Interior Ministry said it had identified three suspects in the beating . The ministry said it had arrested two of the suspects .

A dashboard camera in Chornovol 's car captured part of the attack on the 34-year-old journalist known for her muckraking investigations into corruption among senior state officials , according to the opposition Batkivshchyna party website .

A still image from the dashboard camera footage showed the black SUV that struck Chornovol 's car moments before the assault .

The freelance journalist suffered a broken nose , concussion and numerous bruises , the online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported .

Face battered

Pictures and a video of the journalist posted online showed Chornovol with the right side of her face and her lips swollen and bloody , according to Russian state-run RIA Novosti news agency . Sources on various social media pages said she was hospitalized with a concussion .

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych urged police Wednesday to investigate the attack as quickly as possible , the news agency reported .

The attack was the second on a Ukrainian opposition activist in as many days , according to RIA Novosti . Dmitry Pilipets , a civic activist and organizer of protests in the eastern city of Kharkiv , was stabbed four times on the street by two unknown male attackers late Tuesday night . He was hospitalized Wednesday in stable condition , according to the news agency .

The latest assault could increase tensions between the state and demonstrators who have braved sub-zero temperatures and set up tents and barricades in the city center to voice their opposition to closer ties with Russia .

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Activist and freelance journalist tells Ukranian TV she thought she would die

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Washington calls on Ukraine to send message violence wo n't be tolerated

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Protesters rally outside the Interior Ministry in Kiev

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Two suspects are under arrest , authorities say